NOMAD DREAMING

Ganesha, Guardian of the Garden has been put on surveillance duty, counting out the gold. There haven’t been any especially colorful autumn forest bathing adventures this year. The warmth/tardiness of frost, which I and a whole host of butterflies are thoroughly enjoying, has messed with the potential for much colour drama in the leaf department. Besides, I’ve been held captive by the busyness of Doing Important (and sometimes not so important) Stuff at home. The Garden of Ea

Once upon a time. At the ragged end of a day. Edited by an omniscient malevolence, words are the first to go. A piercing moon and plummeting temperatures. Define steadfastness. The remains of the day/a season/a life.

Opened the kitchen curtain one morning recently to see this. Not sure who precisely was responsible but suspicion leans heavily towards Felonious Feline, the feral roommate. As usual with this maddeningly evasive domestic cat-gone-rogue, proof of guilt is all always circumstantial. I’ve previously seen them perched with precarity on this very bird bath…. Birds of all shapes and sizes are heavily invested in the water source being upright and perpetually filled with water. Fe

With just over five weeks until my next big art exhibition at the 4 day Festival of the Cranes Art and Craft Fair in Socorro in early December, I take a few days off to celebrate Diwali, sleep on the earth amongst pea fowl, soak in mineral hotsprings and wander my feet on some paths in the Gila National Forest. I really lucked out with my timing this year for what has become a kind of annual autumn retreat to Faywood Hotsprings. At night I lay in the silky water of the geoth

There are plenty of Painted Ladies ( Vanessa cardui ) but no Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) in the west side story of a butterfly ballroom. I think I also spy some Southern Dogfaces ( Zerene cesonia ) dancing amongst the Painted Ladies. At ground level the real jewels of the season returned today. While watering the zinnias and cosmos on the west side, I discover the first saffron crocus flowers. The debutantes I’ve been waiting for! They came back! From the kitchen sink windo

It’s 6:30 in the morning and I’m out on the front porch to investigate the unusually dim dawn light of this day. Something is missing on the horizon and the light bulb in the sky needs changing. The sun has been furloughed. Turtleback mountain didn’t just borrow Table Mountain’s tablecloth , a phenomenon which happens sometimes when air currents in the Rio Grande river valley conspire to make cloud pour over the volcanic Caballo mountain range like draping cloth. No. On this

Poster by Daniel Gonzalez. ( Printgonzalez.com ) More info at southwestprintfiesta.org With the possibility of thunderstorms and heavy...

The two Leucophyllum frutescens (often called Purple Sage orTexas sage though it’s technically not a sage) in the kerb appeal project...

Finally Lake Caballo level has risen enough to paddle again. There is still a fair portage over ankle twisting rock hazards to get to the...

It happened slowly. Subtle in the beginning. First there was just one. Then two. Done after a day. If I hadn’t been paying attention they...

There I was, drinking my morning chai with the blooming moonflowers, watering the garden, like I often do at sunrise, just pottering...

Finally in these scorching dog days of summer, illuminated by Sirius, the Dog Star, the Genghis bench is almost done and will be ready to...

Well it never really was a mystery as to who is periodically leaving a trail of feathers and blood in the garden. Let’s just say A Feline...

We don’t ask to be eternal beings. We only ask that things do not lose all their meaning. Antoine de Saint-Exupery It’s been a good...

Once upon a time, oh… about 49 years ago…I met a young person who was crazy about pickles. In fact I believe pickled onions, asparagus...

It’s hotter than hell for the millionth day in a row and El Diablo is in the house. Or, more accurately, the garden, since I’m not...

One day there were just no more swallows on the front porch, swooping in and out with those beautiful scissor tails. No more live birds...

The smell in the house was heavenly last night as two pounds of fresh picked figs simmered in an aromatic brew of ginger, cardamom,...

The first Queen Lime zinnia flower opened this week. A ubiquity of ants noticed. Meanwhile I couldn’t help noticing that, while my bloom...

A westward sinking full moon recently peeped over the fence to celebrate the lushness which is currently Cafe Paradiso. Around full moon...